Reports by international bodies made available to Nigeria’s security agencies now suggest that top Nigerian politicians and diplomats have been major players in the illicit businesses of human trafficking and organ sales.

The businesses involve Nigerian victims and others from the West African sub-region, going by INDEPENDENT findings.The reports – mainly from Italian, French, and International Police (Interpol) – detail how diplomatic channels are used to integrate illegal immigrants into countries like Italy, France, and Spain.

Informers have also disclosed that the uncanny practice involving human organ trafficking – with emphasis on warehousing needed human parts – may have berthed in Nigeria. The intelligence, in addition to the gorier details concerning the sale of human organs, fingered well-connected politicians and diplomats.

As gathered, the operation begins with ambassadorial appointments/lobbying. This, according to presidency sources, explains President Muhammadu Buhari’s choice of ambassadorial nominees. There had been misgivings over the ages of some Nigerian ambassadors, with some being over 80 years old. In the Senate, too, lawmakers have decided in favour of career diplomats ahead of politically exposed persons.

“The effort is meant to stem these clandestine and illegal cross-border operations,” a presidency source explained.

An Italian secret police source from Rome hinted that reports detailing Nigerians’ involvement in this criminal enterprise have been made available to Nigeria’s security agencies and government in several instances.

“We have made our findings open to them after much interrogation of some Nigerian suspects in the operations upon request from your country, as I am aware of, and there was also a joint security report by my country, Spain, and France at some point, too,” the foreign source said.

The source said the matter is difficult to handle because it involved highly powerful PEPs not only in Nigeria but also in the countries of destination of these trades.

“Powerful people are involved on all sides and, honestly speaking, the trade sustains some sectors of the economies in these countries,” the source added.

Currently, there is a global outrage after the death of twenty-six Italy bound Nigerian women, believed to be illegal immigrants on the high seas, recently.

The matter almost sparked a diplomatic row after Italy buried the women without duly notifying Nigeria and properly identifying the corpses.

Even more, the United Nations reacted recently to reports and horrifying footages from Libya of slave trading of blacks by Arabs believed to be Libyans.

Intelligence reports suggest that most of these victims are targets of organ theft or sex trade.

Some of the victims are sold outright as slaves to out of the way labour camps. CONTINUE READING ON THE NEXT PAGE